How Plastic-Free July Builds Sustainable Habits for Life
Posted by Huskee on 1st Jul 2024
Read time: 4 mins
Plastic Free July isn't just about reflection – it's about taking action and embracing a plastic-free lifestyle. This global movement empowers individuals, businesses, and communities to work towards a plastic-free future. By reducing plastic use we can create cleaner streets and oceans and send plastic waste to landfills. Joining Plastic Free July isn't just about feeling good – it's about making a real difference. Past participants have collectively avoided a staggering 10 billion kilograms of waste, including 1.4 billion kilograms of plastic! Additionally, 223 million behaviour changes were inspired, with 87% of participants turning their efforts into lasting habits (source). This movement serves as a powerful testament to the impact we can achieve when we work together.
Why it is Important to use Plastic Free July as a Way to Form Habits
One of the greatest challenges in environmental action is overcoming the inertia of established habits. For all its convenience, plastic has become deeply ingrained in our daily routines. Plastic offers a seemingly effortless solution to our fast-paced lives, from single-use grocery bags to single-use coffee cups. The shift from plastic to reusable options requires more than just awareness; it necessitates a commitment to behaviour change. This involves consciously identifying and replacing unsustainable habits with more sustainable alternatives. It is important to create plastic-free habits as:
- Long-Term Impact: Single-use plastic reduction goes beyond a one-time effort. Forming habits ensures consistent action, leading to a significant decrease in plastic consumption over time. This sustained change offers a far greater environmental impact than sporadic efforts.
- Reduced Environmental Burden: Habits that reduce plastic consumption directly contribute to a lessened environmental burden. By minimising plastic use, we limit the amount of plastic waste entering landfills and polluting our delicate ocean ecosystems. This, in turn, protects the health and well-being of wildlife habitats and the broader ecological balance.
- Empowerment and Agency: Building habits to reduce plastic waste fosters a sense of personal agency and empowerment. It allows individuals to take an active role in protecting the environment and contribute to a larger solution
We can gradually lay the foundation for new plastic-free habits by consciously seeking sustainable alternatives that integrate seamlessly with existing routines. By focusing on the convenience and positive environmental impact of sustainable choices, we can increase the likelihood of these actions becoming automatic and long-lasting.
How you can get Involved in Plastic Free July and Start Forming Plastic Free Habits
Individuals
Shop Sustainably
You can swap plastic, including pre-packaged fruit, and opt for loose fruits and vegetables whenever possible during grocery shopping. This not only reduces plastic waste but also allows you to choose exactly the amount you need, minimising food waste at home. Furthermore, you can invest in a set of reusable produce bags made from breathable materials like cotton mesh. These allow your produce to stay fresh while eliminating the need for unnecessary plastic wrap.
Find Reusables Alternatives to Single-Use
Replacing single-use plastic water bottles and coffee cups with reusable alternatives offers a significant environmental benefit. These disposable items contribute heavily to plastic waste pollution. Switching to reusable options, like water bottles or coffee cups, drastically reduces plastic consumption and its subsequent environmental impact. Our HuskeeSteel reusable cup is a walled, vacuum-insulated cup made of 91% post-consumer recycled stainless steel, ensuring your coffee stays hotter for longer. By switching single-use plastic water bottles and coffee cups to reusable ones, you can make a significant difference in reducing waste.
Businesses
Improve Packaging
Businesses can significantly reduce plastic in their supply chains by re-evaluating packaging choices. We recommend conducting an audit to identify unnecessary single-use plastics. Focus on replacing non sustainable packing solutions such a plastic or styrofoam these with either recyclable options or plastic free solutions like shredded paper. These options offer effective protection for your products while minimising your environmental footprint. There are many benefits to this, including being cost-effective in the long run with reduced material costs and potential tax incentives, as well as gaining awareness from both existing customers and potential customers.
At Huskee, we have followed waste hierarchy and circular economy principles to reduce the plastic waste in our product packaging. We have recently redesigned our product packaging by:
- Creating display window cut-outs instead of stickers to identify product types and colours
- Not using plastic windows or sleeves in the packaging
- Using uncoated, unbleached kraft cardboard for better recycling outcomes
These changes demonstrate our commitment to a sustainable future by minimising plastic waste and prioritising responsible packaging practices throughout our product lifecycle.
Community
Community Clean Ups
Fostering a plastic-free future extends beyond individual actions. Community clean-up events, held annually or bi-annually, offer a powerful way to tackle plastic pollution head-on. By banding together, residents can collect plastic waste from parks, beaches, and neighbourhoods, preventing it from entering our waterways and ecosystems. These clean-up days beautify communities, raise awareness about plastic pollution, and inspire collective responsibility for environmental well-being.
Supporting cafes that prioritise reusables offers a significant environmental benefit. Single-use cups generate a substantial amount of plastic waste, often ending up in landfills or polluting our oceans. Communities actively contribute to reducing this waste stream by choosing cafes that embrace reusables. Furthermore, cafes utilising reusables often demonstrate a broader commitment to sustainability, potentially influencing other businesses and consumers to adopt more sustainable practices. HuskeeSwap offers a convenient solution for coffee lovers to ditch single-use cups. Simply bring your HuskeeCup to participating cafes, swap it for a clean one, and enjoy your beverage! Your nearest HuskeeSwap cafe is closer than you think! You can find your nearest HuskeeSwap cafe here. This collective effort fosters a more responsible approach to waste management and environmental well-being within the community.
Summary
Plastic Free July is a global movement that transcends a single month. It ignites a powerful call to action, encouraging individuals, businesses, and communities to re-evaluate their relationship with plastic and implement lasting changes. By fostering responsible consumption habits, Plastic Free July aims to tackle the existing plastic pollution crisis and prevent future harm. This July, individuals can make a difference by shopping with reusable bags, businesses can explore recyclable or plastic-free packaging options, and communities can organize clean-up events to raise awareness and remove plastic pollution from our environment. Remember, the most impactful change comes from making these habits a permanent part of our everyday lives, ensuring a healthier planet for generations to come.